Internal combustion engine



Nov. 10, 1936. J SWEENEY 2,060,263

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 15, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l Z22 6-J V/\LJ .@/-4 INVENTOR ATTORNEY NOV. 10, 1936. J SWEENEY 2,060,263

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 13, 1936 A TTORNEY Patented Nov. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE 13 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in reciprocating engines and more particularly to in.- ternal combustion engines of the piston reciprocating type; the present application is a continuation in part of-my application Ser. No. 31,975,

filed July 18, 1935.

.An object of this invention is to provide new and improved means for increasing the efliciency of engines of the character stated by increasing creasing the fuel consumption, and permitting a considerable reduction of the gear ratio.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate applications of my invention:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing myinvention applied to a four cylinder four cycle engine and illustrating the electrical circuit employed;

Fig. 2, a diagrammatic view illustrating the angular relation of the magnetic force to the engine cycles;

Fig. 3, a. longitudinal section taken through an engine cylinder equipped with an electro-magnet in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 4, a view similar to Fig. 3, showing a modified form of magnet;

Fig. 5 a diagrammatic view of my ,invention, the view being similar to Fig. 1, showing a modifled form of construction of the electro-magnetic means and its association with the pistons of a plurality of cylinders;

Fig. 6, a diagrammatic view illustrating the angular relationship of the magnetic forces to the engine cycles when magnetic means of the form of Fig. 5 are employed; and

Fig. 7, a. longitudinal sectional view taken through a pair of engine cylinders equipped with the form of magnetic means illustrated in Fig. 5.

As illustrated, my invention is embodied ina four cylinder four cycle internal combustion engine.

In the form of Fig. 1, which will be firstdescribed, I, 2, 3, and 4 respectively designate the cylinders thereof in which reciprocating pistons 5, having a sheet or coating 8 of magnetic material are mounted in the usual manner; the pisthe power, eliminating or reducing vibration, de-

A characteristic and important feature of my invention resides in the employment of electrical means associated with the engine and functioning to effect a pull or lift on one or more pistons of the engine whereby, in conjunction with the power derived from the explosive mixture,approximately '6 continuous application of power to the crank shaft of the engine is provided. Another important feature is, that a smoothness of operation and lack -of vibration is produced.

The electrical means I prefer to employ com- 10 prise electro-magnets preferably mounted on the cylinder head or heads of the engine andconnected with a suitable source of electric current as a storage battery or a generator.

Referring to Fig. 1, each of the cylinders. I, 2, 3, l5 and 4 is provided with an overhead electro-magnet 9 comprising a central soft iron core wound in the usual manner, said cores extending through the cylinder heads for internally establishing a magnetic flux or magnetic lines of force within 2 said cylinders.

The electro-magnets are electrically connected in any suitable circuit with a battery Ill or other source of electrical energy. As shown, one lead .of each of the magnets is connected by a common 25 wire II with one side of the battery, said battery being grounded on its other side as at I2. The other leads of the magnets are connected with contacting devices I3 and I4 located on and rotatable with the crank shaft I. u

As is well known, the usual crank shaft of a four cylinder four cycle engine is arranged to actuate the pistons in pairs, as for example in Fig. 1, the pistons or cylinder I and 3 operate together, and the pistons of cylinders 2 and 4 35 move together, each pair moving in relatively opposite directions.

For thepurpose of applying a magnetic force on the up-strokes of the pistons, i. e., the compression and exhaust strokes, the electro-magnets 40 of cylinders I and 3 may be energized at the same time, and those of cylinders 2,and 4 together at an interval from the energization of those of cylinders I and 3.

In order to automatically effect the-energizing 45 and de-energizing of the said pairs of elect magnets I employ (in the form of Fig. 1) means including a commutator. The leads of the electro-magnets of cylinders I and 3 are connected by a wire I5 with a brush or contact point I6 on the rotating commutator l3, and the leads of eleetro-magnets of cylinders 2 and 4 are connected by a wire H with a brush or contact point I8 on the commutator I4.

The commutators comprise segmental insulatangular duration of the magnetic force being indicated in Fig. 2.

In other words, the magnetic force set up by the electro-magnets is applied to the respective pistons as they approach upper side center positions, and is continuously applied with increasing lifting effect as the pistons approach upper dead center, being terminated slightly in advance of ignition as indicated at a in Fig. 2, so as to have no retarding effect upon the power stroke.

It will be understood thataa manually controlled switch b, may if desired, be placed in the line I I and controlled from any convenient point.

As illustrated and as prefered the electro-magnets each have an outside diameter less than the internal diameter of the cylinder over which the electro-magnet is mounted. As shown, each electro-magnet proper is disposed within a housing 2| made of some suitable non-magnetic material or materials with a fixed core 22 of the magnet projecting through the housing and entered in and extending through the cylinder head 23. 24 designatesa non-magnetic locking nut internally threaded to receive the threaded portion 25 of the core, and 26 a non-magnetic bushing disposed and maintained in the cylinder head and adapted to receive the lower portion of the core 22.

Core 22 is preferably formed with an enlargement 21 at its inner end and bevelled as shown to contact with a bevelled face of the bushing 26. In the form of Fig. 4, I- have shown a modified form of electro-magnet, in this instance two cores 22a are employed and extend through non-magnetic bushings 26a, the latter being entered in the cylinder head 23a.

In the form of Figs. 5 and 7, in place of the fixed core type of electro-magnets, I employ a movable core or plunger type of magnet.

Referring now to the embodiment of my invention employing the said movable core type of 'electro-magnet, said magnets are adapted to be positioned on each of the cylinders l, 2', 3', and

4 in which reciprocating pistons 5' are mounted and operable in the usual manner; the, pistons being connected with a crank shaft 'l' by piston rods 8'. The respective magnets are, as in the former described embodiments), connected with a suitablesource of electric current, as a storage battery or a generator.

The electro-magnets designated generally by the numeral 9' include a centrally disposed movable plunger or core 22 designed to be movable within the magnet. The plunger or core 22 for most of its length is made of a suitable magnetic material of such length as is required by the stroke ofthe engine, said core 22' being of sufilcient length to project through the head of the cylinder to which it is applied and be connected by suitable means to the piston head 5'.

l'he energization and the de-energization of this form of magnet may be effected by means of the commutators as heretofore described in connectin with the fixed core type electro-magnets, or in place of the last mentioned energizing and de-energizing means a diflerent form of switch mechanism, as particularly shown by Fig. 7, may be utilized. When this last mentioned form of switch mechanism is employed the movable core or plunger adjacent its top or an end thereof is preferably provided with a non-magnetic and non-conducting terminal 28. The em ployment of this terminal makes the pull or lift more effective as the movable core nears the top or an end of the solenoid or magnet and further functions to make a non-conducting contact with the switch mechanism illustrated by Fig. 7.

The movable core or plunger is designed to move through the cylinder head in a non-magnetic bushing 29 made of brass or some other suitable material of low magnetic permeability and of a. construction adapted to receive a plurality of compression rings 30. These compression rings 30 disposed in the bushing are preferably made of brass or some other non-magnetic material and are designed to prevent any magnetic and/or compression leakage at this point. I prefer to form the bushing 29 and the central tubular member 3| of the magnet, from a single piece of metal; this construction may be utilized for receiving oil to lubricate the compression rings. As shown the plunger 22 has a suitable clearance within the tubular member 3|.

The switch mechanisms as illustrated, include a horizontally disposed member 32 formed of good conductive material, and of sufficient length to bridge a pair of cylinders of the engine; this member is pivotally mounted across the upper ends of the associated magnets 9 on a support 33, and is provided with spaced apart adjustable electric contacts 34 for contacting with points 35, the latter being carried on the magnets and connected with the windings thereof. The switch member is further provided with spaced apart adjustable insulator blocks 36 adapted to be engaged by the insulated ends of the cores 22' as said cores complete their up-strokes. 31 designates adjustable magnetic blocks also carried by the member 32 above and in line with each magnet. 1

As shown in Fig. 5, the electro-magnets 9 are connected in circuit with a battery it) or other source of electrical energy through the switches 32. One lead of each magnet connects with its contact point 35, and the other lead connects with a common conductor 38 which latter wire is grounded at 39. The switches 32, and therefore their points 34, are connected througha common wire with one side of the battery I0, said batward strokes of the pistons in said cylinders 2' and 4'.

-It will readily be seenjthat upon the completion of the cycle illustrated, as determined by a complete stroke of the pistons, the cores 22 of the pistons in cylinders 2' and 4' will oppositely tilt the switches 32 for energizing the electromagnets 9 of cylinders l and 3, at the same time de-energizing the magnets of cylinders 2' and 4'. In this manner. the movement of the the pistons of an engine.

during the compression and exhaust strokes of pistons and particularly their connected cores 22', will alternately make and break the switch and magnet contacts to energize and de-energize the magnets of the pairs of. cylinders, so as to always exert a magnetic force upon the pistons during their upward travel, or more particularly, during the compression and exhaust strokes thereof.

While the electro-magnets are respectively energized as the pistons of their associated cylinders reach lower dead center position, I prefer ,to delay the application of the resulting magnetic force to the movable cores 22' until the pistons have traversed the dead center position, thereby eliminating the possibility of any undesirable tendency to reversal of rotation of the motor.

For this purpose, I provide the non-magnetic terminals 28 of the cores 22' of sufficient length, relative to the length of the piston stroke and to the height of the magnets 9, so that the said cores are effectively insulated against magnetic action until the pistons have passed dead center, or until such interval of motion beyond dead center advances the said non-magnetic terminals of the respective upwardly moving cores within their magnets so as to bring the magnetic portions of the cores into the magnetic fields of said magnets. This interval is indicated at c in the diagram of Fig. 6.

Adjustment of the switches may be made with a high degree of accuracy by means of the adjustable contacts 34 and adjustable blocks 36. I have also provided means to secure the switches against accidental disengagement when in con-' tact, the magnetic'blocks 31 being attracted to the respective magnets being energized, thereby maintaining the switches in tilted contact position until displaced by the terminal of a movable core, as described.

By means of the movable core construction described, I am enabled to obtain maximum efliciency in the application of magnetic force to Thus, as shown in Fig. 6, the magnetic force may be continuously applied from an interval 0 slightly beyond lower dead center position to a point slightly in advance of ignition, as indicated at a, during the upward or exhaust or compression strokes of the piston.

The magnetic force so exerted on the movable cores, and therefore their pistons, will increase in magnitude with the travel of the piston. I have found that the maximum effort is obtained when the piston has travelled substantially threeflfths of the length of its stroke. Likewise, there is an attendant decrease in amperage from a maximum at the start of the stroke to a. minimum at the end thereof, both of which limits have been found to be well within the capacities of the usual generator and storage battery equipment commonly employed in automotive vehicles.

The employment of either form of electromagnet in connection with an internal combustion engine in the manner shown and described herein results in increasing the power of the engine, eliminates vibration, produces a smooth running engine, effects a-considerable saving by decreasing the fuel'consumption, and permits a considerable reductionv in gear ratio.

I claim: 1

1. In combination in an internal combustion engine, of a cylinder and a power piston operable therein, energizing electrical means associated with the piston, and means for automatically energizing said means to efiect a pull on the piston the engine.

2. In combination in an internal combustion engine, of a cylinder and a power piston operable therein energizing electrical means associated with the piston and means for automatically energizing said means to effect a pull on the piston during the compression and exhaust strokes 'of the engine and de-energizing said means during the intake and firing strokes of the engine.

1 3. In combination with a four cycle internal combustion engine, of a cylinder and its head and a power piston operable in the cylinder, an

electro-magnet mounted on the head, and means for energizing the electro-magnet for effecting a pull on the piston during the compression stroke of the engine.

4. In combination with a four cycle internal combustion engine, of a cylinder and its head and a power piston operable in the cylinder, an electro-magnet mounted on the head, and means for energizing the electro-magnet for effecting a pull on the piston during the exhaust stroke of the engine.

5. In combination with a four cycle internal combustion engine, of a cylinder and its head and a power piston operable in the cylinder, an

periodically energizing the electro-magnet, during the compression and'exhaust stroke of the piston, said piston being in the field of said electr c-magnetic means during said compression and exhaust stroke.

7. The combination in an internal combustion engine, of a cylinder and a power piston operable therein, an electro-magnet on the cylinder having a core extending beyond the winding and through a wall of said cylinder, an enlargement on the inner end of said core;a non-magnetic bushing surrounding the extension of the core and forming a seat at one end for said enlargement, said bushing being screw threaded in the cylinder wall, a non-magnetic nut screw threaded to the extension of the core and engaging the other end of the bushing, means for periodically energizing the electro-magnet, during the compression and exhaust stroke of the piston, said piston being in the field of said electro-magnetic means during said compression and exhaust stroke.

8. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders affording combustion chambers and power pistons in said chambers operable by the explosions therein, a

shaft, means to operate said shaft from said pis-' tons, an electro-magnet on each cylinder, each piston being in the field of the associated electromagnet during the exhaust stroke, a source of electrical energy having one terminal grounded to the engine and 'a conductor extending from the other terminal to each electro-magnet, commutator means on said shaft, and conductors one for each magnet controlled by said commutator means according to the order of exhaustion the cylinders.

I 9. The combination in an internal combustion engine, of a cylinder and a power piston operable therein, an electro-magnet on the cylinder having a movable core extending beyond the wind ing through a wall of the cylinder and connected with the piston, means for energizing the electromagnet to effect a pull on the piston during the compression stroke.

10. Incombination in an internal combustion engine; of a cylinder and a power piston operable therein, electro-magnetic means including a movable core associated with the piston, means operable by the core for energizing the electro-magnetic means to effect a pull on the piston during the compression and exhaust strokes of the engine and tie-energizing said means during the intake and firing strokes of the engine.

11-. In. combination with an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders affording combustion chambers and power pistons in said chambers operable by the explosions therein, an electro-magnet on each cylinder ineluding a movable core connecting the piston thereof, a source of electrical energy, a switch mechanism associated with two cylinders operable by a movement of the cores to alternately energize the respective electro-magnets.

12. The combination in an internal combustion engine, of a cylinder and a power piston operable by explosions therein, an electro-magnet having a movable core extending through a wall of the cylinder and connected with the piston, and means for energizing the electro-magnet during the exhaust stroke of the engine to effect a pull on the piston.

13. The combination in an internal combustion engine, of a cylinder and a power piston operable by explosions therein, an electro-magnet having a movable core extending through a wall of the cylinder and connected with the piston, and means for energizing the electro-magnet during the compression stroke of the engine to eflect a pull on the piston.

ROSS J. SWEENEY. 

